2003 French Art Tour I: Paris to Fontainebleau

WORLD OF ART

PARIS & CRUISE TO NORMANDY
(2 parts)

The narrative follows activity recorded on the camcorder. The videotape is in Fred’s office. Annette took photographs.

Grand Circle Travel reservation number 915858. Paid with American Express credit card (Delta miles, double May -July). Price $1495, including add-on air from Minneapolis & upgrade. Regular price would have been $3595 for same.

US relations with France were strained at the time and tourism plummeted. We received free balcony upgrade because we travel so much with Grand Circle.

DAY 1 - MONDAY, AUGUST 11th

We dropped our car off at the Clarion around noon for Park n Fly. Rate $53, actually $60 w/ taxes. Clarion agreed to not charge usual $84.99 because we did not use a room and only wanted parking. We took American Airlines to Chicago and then flew nonstop to Paris. The architecture of the modern Charles De Gaulle Airport was quite attractive.

DAY 2 - TUESDAY, AUGUST 12th

We were met at the airport by a Grand Circle representative who assisted us in locating our shuttle bus to the Hotel Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel.

Our bus driver took Auto Route Expressway A1, taking us past St. Dennis, the new Soccer Stadium and though a number of tunnels.










The hotel we stayed at is indicated on the map with a dark blue square. The Eiffel Tower is a short distance upward on the map. This monument could be seen from the hotel (photo above right). We had the balance of the day to relax in our spacious room after our overseas flight.

On the photo to the right, our hotel is the red building.

Our large picture window on the 19th floor afforded us a tremendous view of the Seine River and the western bank. Located to the left, and in the middle of the river, was a replica of the Statue of Liberty, reminding us of the monument’s French origin. After a brief rest, we joined an animated guide for an orientation walk of the area around the hotel. She was quick to point out the replica of the Statue of Liberty.

Later in the evening we attended an orientation briefing. The GCT Program Directors (Evy, Nigel and Olivier pictured right) went over all the details of our upcoming trip and fielded questions. Then we had a chance to visit our Program Directors and fellow Grand Circle travelers over a Welcome Cocktail Reception with generous offerings of fancy finger food, wine and other drinks.




Later Annette and I took an evening walk to the Eiffel Tower and had a close up look of the structure all lit up with lights.

When we returned to our hotel we walked out on the Pt de Grenelle (Bridge) and had someone take our picture with the Eiffel Tower in the background.









Lodging Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel .



DAY 3 - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13th

After a full breakfast buffet, which included an array of both hot and cold offerings, we embarked on a half-day included bus tour of the city’s classic highlights.

We started with the Eiffel Tower (#1 on map above). Follow the red line past #2 and on to the Hotel Des Invalides. Continue until you reach sites like the Louvre #3, Norte Dame #5, Place de la Concorde, Art Museum D’Orsay #5, OPera House #6, Place De La Concorde, Arc De Triompe #7, Place De La Concorde, and Grand Palace #8.

We also visited the Place Des Vogges (which is almost off the map on the extreme right side of the map). Annette and I will visit it again later on a walking tour.

This is Paris's oldest square. In 1559, Henri II was killed while jousting on the square, near the Hôtel des Tournelles; his widow, Catherine de Médici, had the place torn down. (If you remember your European history from college, Henry II had a splinter from a shattered lance pierce his eye. He had inmates from prison inflicted with a similar wound so doctors could practice removing the splinter. They died and so did he. Henry II was survived by three worthless sons and a shrewd wife Catherine DeMedici.

The Marais district spent a long time as a swamp and then as agricultural land, until in 1605 King Henry IV (who became king after marrying Catherine’s daughter, and the deaths of the worthless sons) decided to transform it into a residential area for Parisian aristocrats. He did this by building Place des Vosges and arraying 36 symmetrical houses around its square perimeter. The houses, each with arcades on the ground floor, large dormer windows and the requisite creepers on the walls, were initially built of brick but were subsequently constructed using timber with a plaster covering, which was then painted to look like brick. Duels, fought with strictly observed formality, were once staged in the elegant park in the middle.

By the 17th century, the square was the home of many aristocrats. During the Revolution, it was renamed place de l'Invisibilité, and its statue of Louis XIII was stolen (probably melted down). A replacement now stands in its place.

Over the years, the famous often took up residence here: Descartes, Pascal, Cardinal Richelieu, courtesan Marion Delorme, Gautier, Daudet, and Mme de Sévigné all lived here. But its best-known occupant was Victor Hugo (his home, now a museum, is the only house open to the public).

We also visited the Garden of Luxemburg where the Grand Circle “blue dots” walked the grounds and viewed the Senate and Luxembourg Palace. To find this on the map locate #3 and then go downward until you reach the large green area that represents the garden. The garden is largely devoted to a green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and centered on a large octagonal basin of water, with a central jet of water; in it children sail model boats. The garden is famed for its calm atmosphere. Surrounding the basin on the raised balustraded terraces are a series of statues of former French queens, saints and copies after the Antique.

The Latin Quarter and St. Julien-le-Pauvre This church is located on the south side of square René-Viviani. First stand at the gateway and look at the beginning of rue Galande, especially the old houses with the steeples of St-Séverin rising across the way; it's one of the most frequently painted scenes on the Left Bank. Everyone from Rabelais to Thomas Aquinas has passed through the doors of this church. Before the 6th century, a chapel stood on this spot.




The present church goes back to the Longpont monks, who began work on it in 1170 (making it the oldest church in Paris). In 1655, it was given to the Hôtel Dieu and in time became a small warehouse for salt. In 1889, it was presented to the followers of the Melchite Greek rite, a branch of the Byzantine church.

It was nice to see the Musée D’Orsay again. We had spent considerable time here with the college students -- especially browsing through the Impressionist sector.

In 1898, the architect, Victor Laloux, won a competition to build a new train station on the site for the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. The station was built in only two years and was operational for the Fair. The architect concealed the modern station with the façade of a classic stone hotel, creating a structure that naturally integrated with its elegant neighborhood. The building served a number of purposes after 1940, when it was no longer suitable for more modern trains. It was classified as a Historical Monument in 1976, and opened as a museum in 1986.

A monument to the Industrial Revolution, the Orsay is covered by an arching glass roof allowing in floods of light. It displays works ranging from the creations of academic and historic painters like Ingres to Romanticists like Delacroix, to neo-realists like Courbet and Daumier. The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Manet, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, and Renoir, share space with the fauves, Matisse, the cubists, and the expressionists. We found Millet's sunny wheat fields, Barbizon landscapes, Corot's mists, and parti-colored Tahitian Gauguins all in the same hall.

Millet

Gauguin


















Grand Circle offered us the opportunity to remain behind in the city on our own. They had an optional tour of the Louvre Museum for the afternoon, but we opted out and used our pre-purchased $9 tickets to tour the museum on our own.

The first glimpse of the Louvre was the I.M. Pei-designed entrance, which created a great deal of controversy when it was built in 1989. Called the Pyramide du Louvre, the steel rod, cable, and glass pyramids at the three main Louvre entrances are today considered a fine example of the blending of modern with classic architecture.

We ate our noon lunch (consisting of various Moroccan salads) at a restaurant located at the Louvre. Our self guided tour of the art museum took us past works of the Old Masters. We had been here before, but one can never fully appreciate or see all of the exhibits of the Louvre.

Once again we saw the beguiling Mona Lisa by Leonardo, the armless Venus de Milo,

... the headless Winged Victory of Samothrace (right),
David’s Coronation of Napoleon, and so on.

















We returned to our hotel via bus 72. The impressive Novotel, with its reddish hue, stood out among the tall buildings around it. We decided to eat dinner at an outdoor cafe and settled on the Brasserie Le Linois on rue St. Charles (as recommended by Grand Circle).

Before turning in for the evening we walked over to the Pont De Grenelle for a view of the Eiffel Tower. In the photo on the right, the bridge (pont) can be seen between the Eiffel Tower and the Replica of the Statue of Liberty in the Seine River.


















Evening accommodation Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel

DAY 4 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 14th

After a satisfying full breakfast at the Novotel, we located bus 42 which took us through interesting neighborhoods en route to Hotel De Ville (right).

Since Paris has no natural sandy beaches the city decided to construct “a beach” in front of the Hotel De Ville for beach sports. Already in the morning hours the sandy area was well utilized. Our self guided walking tour next took us across a nearby bridge to the island harboring the famous Norte Dame Cathedral.

On the left of the map we walked from the Rathaus across the River Seine to Norte-Dame;

Notre-Dame is the heart of Paris and even of the country itself: Distances from the city to all parts of France are calculated from a spot at the far end of place du Parvis, in front of the cathedral, where a circular bronze plaque marks Kilomètre Zéro.
The cathedral's setting on the banks of the Seine has always been memorable. Founded in the 12th century by Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, Notre-Dame has grown over the years, changing as Paris has changed, often falling victim to whims of decorative taste. Its flying buttresses (the external side supports, giving the massive interior a sense of weightlessness) were rebuilt in 1330.

The histories of Paris and Notre-Dame are inseparable. Many prayed here before going off to fight in the Crusades. The revolutionaries who destroyed the Galerie des Rois and converted the building into a secular temple didn't spare "Our Lady of Paris." Later, Napoleon crowned himself emperor here, yanking the crown out of Pius VII's hands and placing it on his own head before crowning his Joséphine empress.

We started our visit by admiring the exterior. Although scaffolding obstructed the view of the north side, the view of the rest of the church was not affected by renovation projects. After taping the front of the cathedral with its Portal of the Last Judgment, I zoomed in on the gargoyles protruding from the south side.

The nave and altar of the church evoked memories of our last visit here. We admired the stained glass windows, especially the rose window of the north side.

Our walk took us around to the back of the cathedral to a beautiful park with flowers and a fountain. Park benches were available for us middle-age people to rest and soak in the view of the ambulatory and the flying buttresses of the cathedral.




We then crossed Pont St. Louis to Ile St-Louis, the next island on our agenda. See previous map.

Of the two islands in the Seine, the Ile St-Louis most effectively captures the romance of Paris traditional. It is a step back in time, shaded by trees, bordered by Seine-side quais, and overhung with ancient stone houses that have long been among the most prized addresses in Paris. Voltaire, Daumier, Cézanne, Baudelaire, Chagall, Helena Rubenstein, and the Rothschilds are just some of the lucky ones to have called the Ile St-Louis home. The island was named after Louis IX of the Crusades.

Our walk down Rue St. Louis took us past the mansions to the length of the island. We crossed over Pont du Sully to the Right Bank, stopping mid-way for Annette to admire the view. On the Right Bank, we took take blvd Henri IV heading to Place de la Bastille in Le Marais. See previous map.










When Paris began to overflow the confines of Ile de la Cité in the 13th century, the citizenry began to settle in Le Marais, a marsh that used to be flooded by the Seine. By the 17th century, the Marais had become the center of aristocratic Paris and some of its great mansions (hôtels particuliers), many now restored or still being spruced up, were built by the finest craftsmen in France. In the 18th and 19th centuries, fashion deserted the Marais for the expanding Faubourg St-Germain and Faubourg St-Honoré. Industry took over, and once-elegant hotels deteriorated into tenements.

The Marais evokes medieval Paris, its winding streets a sharp contrast to the wide, orderly Haussmann boulevards, envisaged by Napoleon III to keep the mobs at bay. There was talk of demolishing the neighborhood, but in 1962 the community banded together and saved the historic district.

Today, the 17th century mansions are fashionable once again. The International Herald Tribune called this area the latest refuge for the Paris artisan fleeing the tourist-trampled St-Germain-des-Prés. (However, that doesn't mean the area doesn't get its share of tourist traffic; quite the contrary.) The "marsh" sprawls across the 3rd and 4th arrondissements bounded by the Grand Boulevards.

Since it was now lunch time, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for sandwiches. A block down the way was our goal, the Place de la Bastille with its large central fountain.

Place de la Bastille--On July 14, 1789, a mob attacked the Bastille prison located here, igniting the French Revolution. Now nothing of this symbol of despotism remains. Built in 1369, its eight huge towers once loomed over Paris. Within them, many prisoners, some sentenced by Louis XIV for "witchcraft," were kept, the best known being the "Man in the Iron Mask." And yet when the revolutionary mob stormed the fortress, only seven prisoners were discovered. (The Marquis de Sade had been shipped to the madhouse 10 days earlier.) The authorities had discussed razing it, so the attack meant little. But what it symbolized and what it unleashed can never be undone, and each July 14 the country celebrates Bastille Day with great festivity. Since the late 1980s, what had been scorned as a grimy-looking traffic circle has become an artistic focal point, thanks to the construction of the Opéra Bastille on its eastern edge.

It was probably easier to storm the Bastille in 1789 than it is now to cross over to the center of the square for a close-up view.

From Place de la Bastille we took the metro to Place de la Concorde. Naturally, Fred took a video of the fountain. In one direction from this magnificent intersection was the Arc of Triumph.

At the western end of the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe suggests one of those ancient Roman arches, only it's larger. Actually, it's the biggest triumphal arch in the world, about 49m (163 ft). high and 44m (147 ft). wide.  With a dozen streets radiating from the "Star,"


Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate the victories of his Grand Armée, the arch wasn't ready for the entrance of his empress, Marie-Louise, in 1810 (he'd divorced Joséphine because she couldn't provide him an heir). It wasn't completed until 1836, under the reign of Louis-Philippe. Four years later, Napoleon's remains, brought from St. Helena, passed under the arch on their journey to his tomb at the Hôtel des Invalides (that we saw earlier). Since that time it has become the focal point for state funerals. It's also the site of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in whose honor an eternal flame is kept burning.

The greatest state funeral was Victor Hugo's in 1885; his coffin was placed under the arch, and much of Paris turned out to pay tribute. Another notable funeral was in 1929 for Ferdinand Foch, commander of the Allied forces in World War I. The arch has been the centerpiece of some of France's proudest moments and some of its most humiliating defeats, notably in 1871 and 1940.

The memory of German troops marching under the arch is still painful to the French.

Who can forget the 1940 newsreel of the Frenchman standing on the Champs-Elysées weeping as the Nazi storm troopers goose-stepped through Paris?











The arch's happiest moment occurred in 1944, when the liberation-of-Paris parade passed beneath it. That same year, Eisenhower paid a visit to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a new tradition among leaders of state and important figures. After Charles de Gaulle's death, the French government (despite protests from anti-Gaullists) voted to change the name of this site from place de l'Etoile to place Charles de Gaulle. Nowadays it's often known as place Charles de Gaulle-Etoile.

In the opposite direction was the Tuileries Gardens. Monet (painting on the right 1862)

... and Pissaro (painting on right) captured the impressive Tuileries Gardens -- with paint and brush,

The planting of the Tuileries is typically French: formal and neatly patterned, with statues, rows of trees, and gravel paths. No wonder the Impressionists liked this city park. In the foreground (video) was a large pond, a haven for waterfowl. In the distance was the famous Louvre.

We took bus 72 from the Place de la Concorde back to our hotel. After dinner we walked to the Place du Trocadero, fronted with a large basin, gardens and statues. On the map here  it is on the upper center.












Immediately across the Seine River was the Eiffel Tower. As usual, there was a throng of people at the base of the Tower and many vendors plying their wares. Annette purchased some flexible balloon balls that were popular items. On the way back to the hotel we picked up a print depicting the Norte Dame Cathedral and some personalized coffee cups from a busy shop. My cup was inscribed “Frederique.”

After such a busy walking day, we slept well at the Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel

DAY 5 - FRIDAY, AUGUST 15th

Today was to be a day of leisure in Paris. Since it was a major holiday (Catholic celebration of the Ascension of Mary), many businesses were closed, and as we soon found out the hard way, some buses were not running. From our hotel window we did note that tourist boats on the Seine were operating. Once we found out that bus 42 was not coming, we walked over the Seine on Pont Grenvelle to Avenue du President Kennedy. See previous map above.

This street along the Seine led us to our destination, the Jardins du Trocadero at the Palais de Chaillot.

For the Exposition Internationale of 1937, the old Palais du Trocadéro was demolished and replaced by the Palais de Chaillot which now tops the hill. It was designed in classicizing "moderne" style by architects Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, Jacques Carlu and Léon Azéma. Like the old palais, the palais de Chaillot features two wings shaped to form a wide arc: indeed, these wings were built on the foundations of those of the former building.

However, unlike the old palais, the wings are independent buildings and there is no central element to connect them: instead, a wide esplanade leaves an open view from the place du Trocadéro to the Eiffel Tower and beyond.

It was on the front terrace of the palace that Adolf Hitler was pictured during his short tour of the vanquished city in 1940, with the Eiffel Tower in the background. This became an iconic image of the Second World War

Here children escaped the record heat wave by cooling off in the fountains and basin of the park . Nearby was the ubiquitous merry-go-round. After resting and snacking in the area we crossed the bridge over to the Eiffel Tower. While resting on a park bench we observed the crowd and a pair of affectionate lovers sitting on the grass. Heading back to the hotel, we passed the usual vendors and a costumed mime entertaining tourists.


Evening lodging Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel

DAY 6 - SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

As requested, luggage was placed outside the door by 7 a.m. After our included breakfast we located our “blue dot” bus and identified our luggage.

Grand Circle then dropped us off at the Le Palais Garnier Opera House for some free time exploring. We chose to concentrate on the Opera House itself. It was built on the orders of Napoleon III as part of the great Parisian reconstruction project. Building work lasted fifteen years, from 1860 70 1875.

The exterior was graced with massive statues and was quite impressive, but the interior was what was really luxurious.







Everything was ornate from the Grand Staircase (right) and auditorium (with 1,900 red velvet seats and an immense crystal chandelier) to the richly decorated foyers.

We transferred to the Bizet around noon where we given keys to room 306.

The ship departed at 2 p.m. The group enjoyed their first lunch onboard while cruising, and then spending some time becoming familiar with the ship and its amenities. Since our first place of visit (map) was east of Paris (the other end), we had the pleasure of catching the sites of Paris again and observing life along the riverbanks.

Among the beautiful bridges we passed under (sometimes having to duck for low bridges) was the elaborately decorated Alexander III Bridge. The view of Norte Dame from the river was ideal for seeing the flying buttresses. Then came Ile St-Louis, where baking bodies attested to the quay's enduring popularity as the city's favorite sunbathing spot.

We enjoyed our stay in Paris immensely and now we are on our way down the Seine River to the sea -- and the Beaches of Normandy.

Outside Paris we encountered our first set of locks which raised our ship to the next higher level. We conveniently observed the lock procedure from the balcony outside our room.

From the same vantage point we watched people fishing off the banks, water fowl feeding and a pleasure craft speeding by.

As we approached our destination port of Corbeil, we saw rows of barges tied to piers. Along the shores of Corbeil were also flocks of waterfowl. The Corbeil bridge ahead of us was unique in that it was profusely decorated with colorful flowers. (Map below showing location of Corbeil.)












Welcome Drinks were served this evening at the port of Corbeil where we docked overnight.

Accommodations: Grand Circle's M/S Bizet.

DAY 7 - SUNDAY, AUGUST 17

After a hearty breakfast ( note the fresh wild flowers on the table) with our Grand Circle friends, we disembarked on our “blue dot” bus for an excursion through the royal Fontainebleau Forest, Grand Circle had divided our passengers into three smaller groups, labeled with blue, green or red dots. Each group had its own bus and tour director. Our personal director was Evy. We drove through a 50,000-acre forest that was once the private hunting grounds of French kings and Napoleon.

Painting of Fontainebleau Forest by Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1886


















Then before us was the famed U-shaped front of Chateau Fontainebleau.

Begun as a castle in the twelfth century, King Francis I expanded and enhanced it into a magnificent chateau during the mid-16th century and turned it into a favorite residence of French royalty. Francis engaged several Italian artists whose lavish embellishments ushered in a style of painting and architecture known as Mannerism. At Fontainebleau, this style was tempered with a much softer and more elegant look that became known as the School of Fontainebleau. The chateau was looted and damaged during the French Revolution, but restored by Napoleon who made it one of his residences.

Napoleon bids his troops farewell at Fontainebleau, 1814

Napoleon's affection for this palace was understandable. He followed the pattern of a succession of French kings in the pre-Versailles days who used Fontainebleau as a resort and hunted in its forests. François I tried to turn the hunting lodge into a royal palace in the Italian Renaissance style, bringing artists, including Benvenuto Cellini, there to work for him.



Under this patronage, the School of Fontainebleau gained prestige, led by painters Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio. The artists adorned the 63m (210-ft). long Gallery of François I, where stucco-framed panels depict such scenes as The Rape of Europa and the monarch holding a pomegranate, a symbol of unity. The salamander, the symbol of the Chevalier king, is everywhere.

Our tour started with the spectacular grounds that were punctuated with statues and encompassing a large carp pond. Annette and Marilyn Fedele enjoyed the view. The formal gardens were huge and well kept.
In our trek through the palace we started under a stained glass window called “The Artist,”an addition to the palace made by Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III). We then visited a small ornate chapel of Francis I and the Francis I Renaissance Gallery with its sculpted wood entrance. At the far end of the gallery was a prominent statue of Francis I. His successor, Henry II, also had an impressive gallery.

Sometimes called the Gallery of Henri II, the Ballroom displays the interlaced initials "H&D," referring to Henri and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Competing with this illicit tandem are the initials "H&C," symbolizing Henri IV and his ho-hum wife, Catherine de Médici. At one end of the room is a monumental fireplace supported by two bronze satyrs, made in 1966 (the originals were melted down during the Revolution). At the other side is the balcony of the musicians, with sculptured garlands. The ceiling displays octagonal coffering adorned with rosettes.

Above the wainscoting is a series of frescoes, painted between 1550 and 1558, which depict mythological subjects such as The Feast of Bacchus.

Our tour continued. I was captivated by a building I saw through a window, a structure called the Baptistery of Louis XIII. Coincidentally, he next room we explored was a room in which Louis XIII was born.

This was followed by the impressive Gallery of Henry IV. In the foreground was a large globe (right) placed there by Napoleon.

Though Louis XV and then Marie Antoinette took an interest in Fontainebleau, the château found its renewed glory under Napoleon. One can wander around much of the palace on your own, visiting sites evoking the Corsican's 19th-century imperial heyday. They include the throne room where he abdicated his rulership of France, his offices, his monumental bedroom, and his bathroom.


GO ON TO 2003 FRENCH ART II